Vehicle wheel



H. J. HORN YEHICLE WHEEL Sept. 26, 1939;

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 27, 1935 INVENTOR. HAP/6) J HOE/V ATTORNEY.

H. J. HORN VEHICLE WHEEL Sept. 26, 1939.

Filed April 27, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVE NTOR. hWPP) J HOP/V ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 26, 1939 i A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2,174,087 VEHICLE HEEL Harry J. Horn, Lansing, Mich., assignor to Motor Wheel Corporation, Lansing, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 27, 1935, Serial No. 18,617 6 Claims. (01. 301-37) This invention relates to vehicle wheels and The periphery of the cover is flanged as indimore particularly to the combination with a cated at 20. The flanged portion 20 is adapted wheel and a cover therefor of means for detachto lie inside of the base of rim- I I. It is provided ably connecting-the cover to the wheel. In one at circumferentially spaced points with openform of the invention the means for attaching ings 2| for the reception of attaching clips 22. 5 the cover to the wheel comprises a plurality of The cover is preferably flattened or depressed in resilient attaching clips permanently secured to the region of the openings. the cover adjacent its periphery. In another Attaching clip 22 is in the'form of a fiat strip form of the invention the attaching means comof metal folded back upon itself as clearly shown prises resilient attaching clips removably secured in Figures 1 and 2. The upper leg of clip 22- is 10 to the cover solely by means of the cooperative somewhat longer than the lower leg and is proconflguration of the clip and the cover. In both vided at its free extremity with a deformed porforms of the invention the attaching clip is of tion which permits the insertion of that extremithe type adapted to resiliently engage the wheel ty into the opening 2| but prevents the rotation rim and may be formed, to engage the rim at of the clip in a counterclockwise direction be- 15' opposite sides thereof whereby to eliminate conyond a position substantially at right an les to tact between the cover and the rim. the plane of the cover. The free extremity of Illustrative. examples of the invention are the shorter leg of clip 22 is provided with a shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein: hooked portion 23 adapted to'engage the beaded Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a wheel edge of cover l8 when the clip is rotated to the 20 showing a cover detachably connected thereto limit of its movement in a counterclockwise direcby a resilient attaching clip; tion. The clip is thus firmly but detachably con- Figure 2 is a partial top plan view of the atnected to the cover l8. To install the clip it is taching clip and cover of Figure 1; inserted into opening 2| from a vertical position Figure 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view and then rotated in a counterclockwise direction 25 of the rim, cover and attaching clip shown in until portion 23 engages the edge of the cover. Figure 1; The longer and upper leg of clip 22, adjacent Figure 4 is 9, partial sectional view of a, rim, its free extremity, is deformed as indicated at cover and attaching clip, showing a modified 24. This deformation is adapted to contact the form of attaching clip; 7 adjacent side of rim II when the cover and clip 30 Figure 5 is a plan view of theattachlng clip are assembled with the wheel. At its opposite shown in Figure 4; extremity, the upper leg of clip 22 is deformed Figure 6 is a partial plan view of the cover as indicated at 25 which deformation is adapted shown in Figure 4 illustrating the openings to engage the side of rim ll remote from cover through which the attaching clip extends; I 8 when the cover I8 is pressed axially toward 35 Figure 7 is a partial sectional view taken on the rim I I. It will be understood, of course, that substantially the line 1-1 of Figure 8, showing clip 22 is sufilciently resil ent to'permit the deflecmodified form of wheel cover and attaching clip; $1011 of deformation 25 w r y the same may Figure 8 is a partial front view in elevation oi. pass inside of the base of rim II in attaching the construction shown in Figure 7; and or detaching the cover. When the cover is at- Figure 9 is a perspective view. of the attaching tached to the wheel as shown in Figure 1 it is 40 clip shown in Figure 7. firmly held in position by reason of the con- The wheel shown in Figure 1 is of the conventact between deformations 24 and 25 and the tional wire spoke type including a hub shell In, opposite sides of rim II. The cover is does t a drop center rim II and spokes l2 and 13 joincontact the rim. 43

ing the rim and hub shell together. The hub In the m d d construction sh wn in Figures shell It! includes the usual bolting-on flange l4 5, and 6, the attaching clip 26 is in the form of by means of which the wheel is attached to a hub a strand of wire bent to the desired formation.

I 5, the attachment being by cap screws I6. A The cover 21 is provided with holes 28 in pairs conventional brake drum I1 is mounted on hub spaced about its periphery. The ends of the wire I! between its radially extending flange and the forming clip 26 are adapted to be inserted into bolting-on flange ll. openings 28. These ends, as clearly shown in A generally disklike cover I 8 provided with Figure 6, are formed to assume a position adjaspoke formations is disposed at one side of the cent each other. By reason of the flexibility of to wheel with its periphery adjacent the rim 1 I. the wire they may be spread apart sumciently to the attachingclips 25.

permit their insertion in the openings 28. After they have been inserted in the openings the ends of the wire return to 5 thereby locking the clip As in the case of clip 22, the attaching clip 26 is deformed to engage the inner and outer surface of cover 21 whereby to limit the rotary movement of the clip in a counterclockwise direction to a position substantially at right angles to the plane of the cover. The clip is securely but detachably connected to the cover solely by means of the cooperating configuration of these two parts.

Deformations 29 and 30 are formed adjacent the opposite extremities of the clip 26 in spaced relation to'each other. These deformations are adapted to engage the opposite sides of the base of the rim 3| when the cover is attached to the rim. Clip 26 is flexible to a sufllcient extent to permit the deflection of deformation 29 whereby the same may pass inside of the base of rim 3| in attaching or detaching the cover to the wheel. The cover 21 does not contact the rim 3| when it is installed on the wheel. It is firmly held in position on the wheel solely by means of to the cover 21.

The wheel illustrated in Figure '7 is of the same general type of construction as that illustrated in Figure 1 comprising a hub shell 35, a drop center rim 36, and interconnecting spokes 31 and 3B. The hub shell 38 includes the bolting on flange 39 by means of which the wheel is attached to a hub in a conventional manner.

A generally disklike cover 40 is arranged with its periphery adjacent one of the side walls of rim 3B. Inwardly of itsperiphery there is attached to cover 40 at circumferentially spaced intervals a plurality of resilient attaching clips 4|. These attaching clips are connected to the cover 40 preferably by being welded thereto.

Each of the clips 4| is provided with a leg 42 which serves in attaching the clip to the cover and a laterally extending base portion of the same general configuration as thebase of rim 36. At the inner extremity, adjacent the cover 40, of each of the clips 4| there is formed a shoulder 43. The outer extremity of each of the clips is provided with a deformed portion 44. As shown in Figure 7 the shoulder 43 contacts one side of rim 38 and deformed portion 44 contacts the other side of rim 36 when the cover is installed on the wheel.

As previously mentioned, clips 4| are formed of resilient material and they are sufflciently flexible to permit deformation M to pass inside the base of rim 36 when the: clip is being installed or removed from the rim. When the cover is attached to the rim as shown in Figure 8 it is preferably out of contact with the rim 36.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides attaching clips either permanently or detachably connected to a cover which serve to detachably connect the cover to a wheel without requiring contact between the cover and the wheel. By eliminating contact between the cover and the the position shown in Figure wheel objectionable noises and squeaks are avoided.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. The combination with a wheel and a cover therefor of an attaching clip adapted to detachably connect the cover to the wheel while maintaining these parts in spaced relation to each other, said attaching clip being secured to the cover and the wheel solely by means of the interlocking configuration between these parts and the attaching clip.

2. The combination with a wheel cover having kperipheral flange provided with an opening of ""a attaching clip, said attaching clip comprising a single strip of metal folded to bring the ends thereof in relatively close proximity, one of said ends adapted to be inserted into the opening in the cover and the other end adapted to engage the edge of the cover to lock the clip to the cover.

3. The combination with a wheel and a cover having inner and outer faces and an opening adjacent its periphery of an attaching clip having an end portion projecting through the opening and engaging one face of the cover, another portion of the clip engaging the other face of the cover and extending in a direction substantially opposite to the first mentioned end portion, said other portion being adapted to resiliently engagethe wheel to hold the cover in position thereon.

4. The combination with a wheel and a cover having inner and outer faces and an opening adjacent its periphery of a removable resilient attaching clip, said attaching clip having one end portion extending through said opening and bearing against one face of said cover, said clip having another portion bearing against the other face of sad cover and extending in a direction substantially opposite to the first mentioned end portion and adapted to resiliently engage said wheel whereby said cover, attaching clip and wheel are secured together when said cover is pressed toward said wheel.

5. The combination with a wheel and a cover having openings therein adjacent its periphery of a substantially U shaped wire attaching clip having its free ends positioned in said openingsand provided outwardly of said free ends with spaced apart deformed portions adapted to be pressed into engagement with the wheel to detachably connect the cover thereto.

6. The combination with a wheel and a cover having openings adjacent its periphery of a substantially U shaped wire attaching clip having its inner free extremities disposed within said openings, said clip deformed adjacent its free ends to contact the inner and outer surface of the cover and provided adjacent its outer extremity with a deformation adapted to be pressed into engagement with the side of the wheel remote from the cover.

HARRY J. HORN. 

